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Creamy Lemon Meatball Soup: Healthy Greek Recipe

This traditional Greek meatball soup (Youvarlakia Avgolemono) features herby, tender meatballs in a smooth, lemony broth. The tangy egg-lemon sauce (avgolemono) creates a delicate creamy texture and refreshing citrus kick. Enjoy this bright and hearty soup any time of day for a healthy meal!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Keyword Greek meatball soup, lemon soup, meatball
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot
  • 1 large skillet
  • 1 Grater
  • 1 Sieve
  • 1 Large Bowl
  • 1 medium bowl
  • 1 small bowl
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 stirring utensil
  • 1 fork or spatula for flipping meatballs on skillet
  • 1 ladle for serving

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground meat (ground beef, ground beef and pork mixture, or ground lamb and beef mixture are ideal)
  • 1 medium onion, grated and strained of juices
  • 1 cup minced fresh mint and parsely
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • Juice of 2 large lemons
  • 2 quarts chicken, vegetable, or bone broth (or substitute filtered water if in a pinch)
  • 2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup short or medium grain white rice such as Arborio (Optional, omit for grain free or low carb recipe)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine ground meat, 2 eggs, fresh mint, fresh parsley, grated and strained onion, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and optional uncooked rice.
  • Mix with your hands until well combined, then form into about 1 by 1 inch, small meatballs.
  • Preheat a skillet on medium high heat, then place meatballs on skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Browning the meat will add a delicious flavor to this soup.
  • In a large pot, bring broth or water, 1 teaspoon of salt, and butter to a boil.
  • Add cooked meatballs, then reduce heat to medium heat to simmer while you prepare the egg-lemon sauce.
  • In a medium bowl, separate 2 egg whites, reserving the egg yolks in a small bowl.
  • Whisk egg whites until white and fluffy - but not so thick that it is forms peaks.
  • In the small bowl with the egg yolks, add the fresh lemon juice and mix well.
  • Add the egg yolk and lemon mixture to the fluffy egg whites and combine well. You will end up with a creamy, pale yellow sauce.
  • After the broth and meatball mixture has simmering for about 30 minutes, turn the burner off.
  • While whisking constantly, add about 1/4 cup of the hot broth at a time to the egg-lemon mixture. This will temper the eggs so they will not separate, but will stay creamy.
  • Continue adding a small amount of broth at a time until you have added about 2 cups, then pour all of the egg mixture into the large soup pot while stirring constantly.
  • Place a lid on top of the soup pot and let rest for about 15 minutes. This will allow the soup to thicken and become creamy.
  • After 15 minutes, the soup should be thickened a bit and have a little foaminess on top. Give it a gently stir, and it is ready to serve!
  • ​Enjoy!